Ben Phiri launches onslaught on critics, denies being overnight billionaire: ‘I worked hard for my money’
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) director of operations Ben Phiri on Sunday launched an onslaught on his critics who say he has become an overnight billionaire through dubious means, saying they need to work hard to
reach where he is instead of harbouring envy.
Speaking in a radio interview, Phiri , who has been President Peter Mutharika’s long-time Special Adviser and Assistant, said he worked extra hard to reach where he is.
The former presidential top aide said he had stepped down from his position to pave the way for people who have been accusing him of corruption to prove their case.
“I resigned from State House soon after these reports started circulating. I asked the State to investigate me thoroughly, that is why I did not to cling to the State House job because people would have thought that the President was protecting me,” said Phiri.
He said up to now, no State agency has come back to him to say he had been charged with corruption or theft or abuse of office charges.
“This shows I am clean, so those people who say I accumulated my wealth through evil, let them come forward to prove it. They need to work extra hard if they are to reach where I am,” said.
In an earlier interview with Nyasa Times, Phiri showed documents of how he took bank loans to buy houses.
“I even kept my small allowances whenever I accompanied the President on his tours when my friends were busy drinking beer and doing other things,” said Phiri at his printing empire, Beata and the upmarket accommodation facility.
Asked if he was still very close to President Mutharika, Phiri said he no longer works for him at State House and refused to say whether he still meets the Malawi leader for a talk or two.
“That is personal but you should no that I am no longer at State House and he is the State president,” said Phiri.
During interview with Zodiak radio, former First Lady Callista Mutharuka responding to a journalist question that a Ben Phiri is among the potential names mentioned to take over the DPP mantle, she said that would be a “gratuitous insult” to Malawians.
“Umenewo ungakhale nyozo (That would be an insult). I have never heard about that, but, if true, that would be a gratuitous insult. Malawians are not stupid. What is your personal take on that? Do you think the people you are mentioning can rule a country? I mean, can they govern? Can the they steer the ship in the right direction? Can the poor be uplifted from the doldrums of poverty? Some people think it is easy to take advantage of the low literacy rate in our rural areas, so they just wake up and say ‘I can be president.’ It’s not that easy,” said the former first lady.
“Let me make a plea to the people in our rural areas: when you hear so-and-so plans to contest as president, ask carefully: what kind of education has he or she had? What are his or her plans? Aren’t these the very same thieves plundering government entities? They need to ask themselves those questions,” she said bluntly.
The journalist pressed Callista further to explain what was wrong with Ben Phiri not to be eligible to run for president.
In her response, Callista said she had no intention to speak further on specific individuals, but said “just do your research and look carefully into their personal stories. I will not say anything more than that. Find out what people out there say.”
During the interview, Callista pointed out that Malawians are engulfed by too much fear.
“ Why is that so? God protects us. Let us learn to speak the truth, to stand for what is right. In addition, let us not deceive the masses in rural areas, to whom we go masquerading as philanthropists, yet these so-called philanthropists are thieves, stealing from your government, stealing from public entities . . . my plea to those stealing is please, stop that. People are suffering in rural areas. You are stealing money that could have assisted the poor.”
After two years of political sabbatical leave, he is back in the DPP as director of field operations and is aspiring to be Member if Parliament for Thyolo Central Constituency.
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Ben Nkasala bodza. Ku Malawi it’s not easy to become rich even from business. We have seen Tuwiche going down. UDK is gone. Yanu Yanu is finished. Now Ben becomes rich through thieving and extortion. This man will have to explain. I am sure Pitala is behind all this. Callista said Pitala is surrounded by beast but he is a beast too. Birds of a feather flock together.
We have all the evidence Mr Ben Phiri. Why did you send your iliterate sister to Japan as a diplomat?
One day is one day. Musazanene kuti ndi persecution
For your own information Ralph Kasambara has been granted his licence to retain to his work as a lawyer. The first to be arrested ndi uyu Namatetule Ben
It’s true. He worked hard. Butt intercourse with an elderly man is no simple task.
Why is this thief denying his resume? Him like most mulhakho guys are beneficiaries of DPP’s NEPOTISM, thievery and corruption. Akuna chani ndiye?
Chipanda nepotism ya a lhomwe who would have known you in Malawi here? Just accept you are another LHOMWE AND aTHIEF. It’s an open secret that’s what you guys put on your RESUME to gain FAVOURS
SHAME on all THIEVES!!!.
Worked hard my foot! Mbala inu ma cadet aDPP tikukudziwani bwino you are busy looting government contracts. When Mutharika won in 2014 sima cadet nonse munakangozilowesa muzi ntchito muboma which you called pay back for campaigning for Mutharika. A good lot of you are with fake qualifications. Ena ndachina Prosper Mopiwa – Deputy Director ku OPC who masquarades as a University of Dar es Salaam Computer Science graduate which is all fake. Fake credentials munthu khomo la university salidziwa nkomwe and he is a Deputy Director muboma. ACB mugwire ntchito yanu and investigate his papers which are dud certificates. Besides, the guy is an ex-convict who stole from his former Nigerian boss at Compu Business Centre paLilongwe Hotel.
Yours has been a rise from rags to riches. Ben should talk as if we know him as somebody who run away to UK running away from Katapira guys. When he came back he was not doing so well until when he started the crusade of budget and section ^5 and that is when he was spoted and to reward him he was paired as Peters assistant. when Bingu died he clinged to Peter and Peter would send him to errands. In the course we learnt that he would crook indians and force get orders from government companies. Stop branging Ben
A Ben inu. Khalani phee! Do you know that if you make K10 billion, you should trace this to banks and taxes to MRA? Ndi msonkho ungati munalipila inu?
A Ben inu, how much tax have you paid? Fatsa, usazipachike.
My guess.. he (and most other politicians).. have paid little to no tax on any of their multiple business and personal revenues, profits and expenditures..
Let’s be realistic.
People in power take advantages of their positions. Anyone would do it. Including me.
Sometimes it’s even unintentional. If I have a good position at bank, private business, or government, people will automatically ‘respect’ me.
If I walk into a shop or office, I will automatically be ‘treated better’ than someone perhaps less ‘well off’.
This is simply human nature.
It’s not just the informal advantages of holding an influential post, but also a more formal ‘system of ‘trust’’.
If I want to open a bank account/loan or trade credit terms with a business, usually the application form will ask for ‘references’.
Even a NGO or government public tender will have often multiple pages asking you to list references, list of past contracts, profiles of the business and its directors or shareholders.
So for Mr. Phiri to say absolutely none of his wealth is due to his position and influence is simply arrant nonsense.
It’s only natural, and even a positive good, for people and businesses to trust and be more accommodating to people with ‘better background’
Accordingly, it’s fully right and proper for the public and media to question those in positions of power on the sources of their wealth.
Even if I have a small savings account and I deposit money, the deposit slip ask the ‘source of funds.
This is so the government can make sure they are not missing out on tax revenue!
We all have plenty of experience of these daily issues.
So whether it’s Mr. Phiri or anyone else, in any country in the world; we will ask?
How did you get rich? How much of your wealth was accumulated after gaining power and how much before?
If most of it was made after gaining power, naturally people will be suspicious.
Did Mr. Phiri, or any other politician, only start ‘working hard’ after gaining power?
Naturally that sounds ridiculous to any normal, thinking person.
If all their wealth was 100% through hard work, why did they only start ‘working hard’ after being elected/appointed to their posts???
Even thieves, robbers etc work hard Ben. You are not talking to children. You were chased from state house for not showing respect to Gertrude. You forgot that she was the wife to old Pitala. She ordered you out. You’re a a thief. You are a crook.
Chilima ntchito iyo the first one to be picked is this one then atupele and his father
BEN PHIRI inu ndani asakudziwa kuti mwagula ma NISSAN NAVARA 50 ku Ireland ndipo mwagula nyumba ku Nottingham, ndi business yanji yomwe mukuchita inuyo.
ma Nissan NAVARA alowera ku Mchinji boarder lero pa 16th April 2018, musamapange maseweratu tikukuona kuti mukuba ndalama za boma. Navara imodzi yapanga ngozi mu Namibia chifukwa chakuti inagunda Buffalo.
ndiye mukamayakhula motumbwa muziona
KKKKKBen ndimamuna ukunena zoona. wagula lake malawi kuti zamuwawayo akakolopemo. Nsaje, njiru ndi kaduka amalawi.
Ben Phiri wagwira liti ntchito kuti alemere chochi ? Owo tikuwonerani azanu a George Chaponda zawatsamwa becareful you too.
You can work “extra hard” in stealing and corruption too.
Is the story about Callister or Ben Phiri? If it is the later as indicated by the headline why then have you given much coverage to Calista? Wise up journalists and be professional . Kodi ntchito ya Utulonkhani adakukakamizirani?.Poor reporting.mxii
So Callista is on everybody!!! Mayi you are fighting a losing battle.
Let’s get Ralph kasambara to shoot this guy as well!! Hahahahahahahahahaha kodi BEN are you forgetting the hiding you got at Mount soche?? Where you had to run like a dog!! Ben I never you were a fast runner. Kikikikikikiki ,
Some of us kept quite because you had decided to resign from your position to prove your innocence. Now that you’re back with your old ways, we are now ready to dump all evidence of your clandestine activities to the public one by one and you relent and apologise. I don’t think in this day and age where the digital world has a way of tracing transactions, you should be making false pronouncements. You and I know that you’re not innocent therefore just keep quite. In fact you should just resign from all your political positions and if not we will be forced to share all your financial secrets with the public closer to DPP National Elective Conference. So masala, make a choice and make it soon!!!
Ben Phiri,which businesss have u been doing to become an over night billionaire??the onus is u to prove how u got the money.everyone know ur corrupt.those agencies tht u say failed to investigate u are all fearfull of ur gvt powers.Ben u shud know that a day is coming when u will have to account for all the corrupt stuff uve done.if u dont repent u will regret in this life or in the later life.ur enriching urself at the expense of poor Malawians.its an insult and an embarrassment to the hard working Malawian business people and intrepreneurs.noone can give u respect coz we know wher the riches come from.weve seen ur trying now to establish businesses and getting bank loans to show that ur doing business.this is laughable.lets go to MRA so u can prove the taxes u paid when u did ur businesses.sis down ben and think.Malawians can never be deceived for ever.
Wayankhula bwino Ben ndipo Callista wangoonekelatu kuti she is a bitter woman. Olo anakunyoza you did not respond to her foolishness. Dpp woyee APM woyee
Boza ili, Ben anaba zambiri chitani manyazi
Mulibe manyazi
WE HAVE HEARD SUCH EXPLANATIONS BEFORE ONLY TO LEARN LATER THAT THEY WERE COVERUP UPON TRUTH COMING TO LIGHT EG BAMBO LUTEPO. BEFORE FALLING HE USED TO PREACH WHAT A HARDWORKER HE WAS AND WE ALMOST BELIEVED HIM. WHEN REALITY COUGHT UP WITH HIM, IT WAS PATHETIC TO LEARN HOW HEARTLESS HE WAS TO THE MALAWIANS AT LARGE BY STEALING BILLIONS OF THEIR TAX MONIES. SO OSAUKA ALIBE MAWU BUT THIER CONSOLATION IS THAT THERE IS AN IMPARTIAL HAND IN HEAVEN AND SURELY SOON WILL RURE WITH REAL JUSTICE. HEAR US OH LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ben it might be proper to be silent, otherwise the route you’ve taken is a replica of what Paul Phwiyo went through!! Some of us remember how Paul boosted before the parliamentary committee………………. and went overboard to producing these very nonsensical words you’re giving!!
A ben inu, how much was your salary per month in the Malawi government? Can what you were getting translate to more than a hundred million or billion kwachas in a year? Boma lake liti ben lingakulipile ndalama zochuluka choncho? Ben lino ndi dziko and dirty money ndi chimodzimodzi a pumped balloon, for you can’t squeeze it water and get off your hand for it will still come out on its own to the open!!
Take this Ben, there is no way you can get big money from government without using a chain of people to process that money!! So everything is known and will one day be exposed as is the case with Paul!!
Lastly don’t hoodwink us about resigning from government and boast of having nobody coming forward to investigate you!! Sincerely if you were disconnected from the state house, you wouldn’t have been busy campaigning for APM.
What you have so far done is merely to change your position and not the relationship………………… and these are acts of crooks!! Mbuzi iweeeeeee, ukuona ngati doloooooooo iweyo……………..!! Mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Musiyeni Ben M’nyamata. Come what may, he is heading to prison under the new dispensation. He will enjoy his money in jail. Mark my words. ex Presidents South Korea, Brazil and now Zuma have had to face the might of the law. Somehow the law catches up with even the cleverest and the most powerful people.
Koma ziliko ku Malawi. We need God Intervention mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
There’s indeed an audit trail with impeccable evidence which is still available. It will come out at the right time. The game will begin just before the Elective Conference to show the public whose hands are full of blood. Paja okulu okulu odati “Linda madzi apite ndiye udziti ndadala”. Ben Phiri walankhula msanga mopusa.